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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 01-10-15
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] Yaser Arafat in London
[02] Greek Foreign Minister hoolds talks with Syrian leadership
[03] Weather forecast
[04] New antrax cases heighten U.S bioterror fears
[05] Second week of American led air raids on Afganistan
[06] Prime-minister Simitis reelected third time Pasok party President
[07] Heating oil lower this year
NEWS IN ENGLISH ERA-5. THE VOICE OF GREECE
15/10/2001 3:46:00 μμ
Weather forecast Prime-minister Simitis reelected third time Pasok
party President Greek Foreign Minister hoolds talks with Syrian
leadership New antrax cases heighten U.S bioterror fears Second week of
American led air raids on Afganistan Heating oil lower this year Yaser
Arafat in London
[01] Yaser Arafat in London
The Israeli army has begun withdrawal from the palestinian sectors in
Hebron , folowing the Palestinian authorities commitment to adhere to a
full cease fire . In the meantime , the Palesinian leader Yaser Arafat
arrived in London today for subsatntial talks with British
Prime-minister Tony Blair.
[02] Greek Foreign Minister hoolds talks with Syrian leadership
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou held talks on Sunday with the
Syrian leadership on issues focused on the Middle East and
international efforts to combat terrorism. Following his meeting with
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which Papandreou described as "useful
and constructive," the Greek foreign minister said that Syria plays a
very important role in the region and the Arab world. The Greek foreign
minister, in a press conference he gave following his talks in
Damascus, said that Sypria plays a particularly major role in the
region and can contribute to a solution of the Palestinian problem.
Papandreou said he supported an overall solution, based on UN
resolutions and stressed that the international coalition against
terrorism is very difficult to operate when there is such tension on a
regional level.
[03] Weather forecast
A mainly fine day today with some local cloud . Strong notherly winds
in eastern Greece, turning to very strong in the Aegean. In Athens,
temperatures will range between 17C to 25C and in Thessaloniki
temperatures will range from 15C to 24C.
[04] New antrax cases heighten U.S bioterror fears
In the U.S , several antrax contaminated letters have sparked fears of
a biological warfare in retaliation for U.S military strikes on
Afganistan after the September 11 suicide attacks on NY and washingthon
. Top U.S officilas blamed bio-terrorists for sending deadly bacteria
antrax in the U.S mail. Twelve cases of exposure to the antrax bacteria
have been recorded since October ,5, but only two had actually
contracted antrax . One of those two died of the disease on October,
5. In the meantime the American Consulate in Melbourne and part of the
Vienna International Airport were evacuated following the discovery of
a chemical powder in a letter U.S Health and Human Services Secretary
Tommy Thompson described anthrax contaminated mail as bio-terrorism but
said it was too early to blame the al Qaeda network of Islamic militant
Osama bin Landen , the primr suspect in the September 11 attacks . The
test results of the 65-year old American woman who went to the Tzanio
hospital last night claiming to have symptoms of the deadly antrax
bacteria are so far negative . The woman was in the U.S fo over a
month and returned to Greece last Friday.
[05] Second week of American led air raids on Afganistan
American war planes launched new air raids on Kabul and Islamabad this
morning . The Taliban spoke of 12 dead. Last night , U.S war planes
bombed Kabul and Kandahar leaving this city in the dark. Earlier , the
Taliban had offered to hand over bin Landen , provide they were given
evidence of his guilt, in exchange for interruption of air raids.
However the American President George Bush angrily rejected the latest
Taliban offer saying that if the Taliban wanted us to stop military
operation they had to meet my conditions. The Northern alliance ,
Afganistans opposition rejected the ruling Taliban appeal to join their
ranks in their resistance against the U.S, but stressed that at the
present phase it will not march down to Kabul. Planning for a future
Afganistan government if the Taliban regime should fall under U.S led
attacks have already begun. In the meantime, the Taliban belied
information of an interior dispute and denied that the Taliban Foreign
Minister had gone to Pakistan as reported by the United Arab emirates
News agency. However , in a new cable the United Arab Emirates News
Agency stresses that the Taliban Foreign Minister- who appears to have
broken off relations with the Taliban is in the Emirates. The Katar
television network Al Tzarira has also confirmed that the Taliban
Foreign Minister has suddenly arrived in the Emirates. American
Secretary of State Colin Powell is expected to visit Islamabad today to
try to cool passions between the nuclear armed regional rivals that
have been further heighened by the U.S -British bombing campaign in
Afganistan. Pakistani police fired on thousands of stone throwing
demonstartors in southern Jacobabad yesterday , killing one and
injuring 12, to stop the crowd besieging a local airport where U.S
forces are deployed . The protesters , who had evaded a huge security
cordon thrown up around the city , hurled stones , prompting
paramilitary rangers and police to open fire and use teargas to try to
break up the crowds in the town. In the meantime , extremist Islamic
organisations call on people to stage general strikes in the wake of
the American Secretary of State visit to Pakistan. At least 200 people
have been kiled in two days of religious clashes in Nigeria triggered
by protests against U.S air strikes in Afganistan. Tear gas was used to
disperse and anti american demonstration in Jakarta today. Three of
the 22 people on Washingtons list of most wanted terrorists were in
iran before the September 11 attacks but have since left , the
London-based pan-Arab newspaer, Asharq al-Awsat reported today.
[06] Prime-minister Simitis reelected third time Pasok party President
Prime Minister Costas Simitis was re-elected as ruling PASOK president
at the party's congress on Sunday evening with 71.16% of the votes.
Addressing delegates after his re-election for the third time, Simitis
stressed that "introversion and personal disputes are not justified
given that during the congress substantial content was made to the word
'unity', which was build upon clear objectives." "This new unity", the
prime minister said, "has as an unshakeable point of reference the
historic responsibility of all the members towards the clear positions
for the nation's fortification, for the country's european prospects
and PASOK's new victory." Simitis thanked the delegates for again
re-electing him as president of PASOK and commited himself to honour
the clear and strong mandate given to him by the congress to keep PASOK
and Greece high. Replying to journalists' questions as to when a
government reshuffle will take place, Simitis answered that his first
priority was to attend the European Union summit. With 5986 votes
counted, the valid votes were 5772, 207 were invalid and 7 were blank
votes. Kostas Laliotis received 3613 votes George Papandreou 3453
votes, Kostas Skandalidis 3080 votes, Apostolos Tsohatzopoulos 3031
votes, Evangelos Venizelos 2741 votes , Mihalis Hrisohoidis 2655 votes,
Anna Diamantopoulou 2605 votes , Vaso Papandreou 2561 votes Theodoros
Pangalos 2548 votes and Petros Efthimiou 2539 votes. Defence Minister
Akis Tsohatzopoulos said that the congress confirmed the Pasok party
unity and spoke of a political agreement that will lead to a new common
course.
[07] Heating oil lower this year
The price of heating oil is expected to be significantly lower compared
to the same time last year. It is expected that heating oil will be
sold at 115drs per litter .
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